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Saturday-morning earthquake rattles nerves in Southern California

Small California Earthquake

Cars back up on a stretch of State Route 18 after rockslide blocked the road in the southern California community of Snow Valley, enroute to Big Bear Lake on Saturday, July 5, 2014. Randy Naquin of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said he had no reports of damage from the widely felt small earthquake on Saturday. (AP Photo/The Sun, Rick Sforza) MANDATORY CREDIT; LA TIMES OUT; VENTURA COUNTY STAR OUT; RIVERSIDE PRESS ENTERPRISE OUT; THE VICTOR VALLEY DAILY PRESS OUT
(Rick Sforza)

LOS ANGELES -- A small earthquake rattled nerves and jostled store shelves in and around the Southern California community of Big Bear Lake on Saturday.

Randy Naquin of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said he had no reports of damage from the widely felt temblor. But the state Transportation Department said a section of nearby highway was closed by a rockslide. It wasn't immediately clear if the slide had been caused by the shaking.

City News Service reported that snowplows were dispatched to clear rocks and at least six vehicles were stranded temporarily.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake hit about 10 a.m. Saturday, centered about 6 miles northwest of the lake resort. It had a preliminary 4.6 magnitude -- considered a light quake. Two other smaller quakes were also reported, but it wasn't immediately clear if they were separate or related to the larger temblor.

Wick Phillips, who owns a gift and furnishings store with his wife, Tracy, in Big Bear Lake, said about 15 coffee mugs and glass items were shattered after being knocked from shelves. The quake hit at a time when the downtown area was filled with holiday vacationers.

"It was a very sharp jolt, followed by about 10 seconds of the building moving," Phillips said. The building was not structurally damaged, and he and his wife were not hurt.